Sometimes my listening starts with the tap of a smartphone screen. Other times it starts with the carefully lowering of a tonearm. Whatever the source kick-off these past two months, the next step has invariably meant carefully pulling a Grado headphone extension cord across the floor, from Mytek Brooklyn+ to my favourite chair, for a heavy dose of headphone listening: world off, music on.

I live in a NeuBau (new building) – a Berlin rarity. Were music to disturb neighbours, loudspeaker sounds would have to penetrate thick concrete floors and walls.… Read the full article